Two Danish films were honoured with audience awards at the American Film Institutes' festival, the AFI Fest. "A Royal Affair" by Nikolaj Arcel won the World Cinema Audience Award, and "A Hijacking" by Tobias Lindholm won the New Auteurs Audience Award.
For Denmark's Oscar submission "A Royal Affair", the prize could bring crucial attention from the members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which might be very valuable when the nominations for Best Foreign Language Film will be selected.
US premiere today
Critics around the world have in general been very pleased with "A Royal Affair". On www.rottentomatoes.com, it scores 88 % fresh.
Times' Mary Pols writes:
"Anyone eagerly awaiting "Anna Karenina" and "Les Miserables" shouldn’t miss "A Royal Affair". New versions of old classics are a fine thing, but nothing beats a well told tale of a scandals past that you’ve never heard before." Read review
The film opens in US theatres today. See playdates at Magnolia Picture's website
"A Hijacking" is produced by René Ezra and Tomas Radoor for Nordisk Film. "A Royal Affair" is produced by Louise Vesth, Sisse Graum Jørgensen and Meta Louise Foldager for Zentropa. Both with support from the Danish Film Institute.